George g



(No Model.) v

G. C. HINMAN. PERUH HOLDER FOR BIRD CAGES.

No. 562,468. Patented-mums; 1896.

GI" 12 z 5 '1 a WITNESSES: INVENTOH g; l B Y v I H/JAZ'TOHNEY.

GEORGE C. HINMAN, OF

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO FREDK.

C. LUM, OF SAME PLACE.

PERCH-HOLDER FOR BIRD-CAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 562,468, dated June23, 1896.

Application filed November 13, 1894-.- Serial No. 528,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. HINMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perch-I-Iolders for Bird-Cages, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bird-cage perches, and has forits object the construction of a holder not only cheap, si1nple, andeffective as a means for attaching and detaching the perch to the wiresor bars of the cage, but that such attachment or holder shall be soconstructed and, secured at or near the end of the perch in such amanner that no portion thereof shall project within the cage tointerfere with the smooth cylindrical surface of the perch to the injuryof the birds feet.

To this end my invention consists of an attachment preferably made of asingle piece of wire bent in a form calculated to cover sufficientsurface so as to embrace two, at least, of the vertical bars of thecage, and to engage such bars at four or more points on the outside ofthe cage; a suitable bend or loop formed in the body of the wire-holderto provide means whereby it is attached to the perch at or near theouter end thereof, the free ends of said holder engaging with the insidesurface of the vertical cage-bars at a point be tween the perch and thelower outer-surface contact, and when thus engaged to form with suchouter-surface contact a leverage that will firmly maintain the holder inany desiredposition within the range of the vertical bars of the cage,thus forming a construcsection and supporting at its upper end the perchshown in end elevation; and Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation looking inthe direction of arrow a, Fig. 1, of the perch-holder, broken section ofthe cage-bars, and perch. Fig. 3

is a detail side elevation and broken section of the wooden perch havinga groove near the end to receive the loop portion of the holder. Fig. 4is a detail sectional end elevation through dotted line a looking in thedirection of arrow 1) of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation of aslightly-modified form of hold er and broken section of two cage-bars towhich it is attached. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the holdershown in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrow 0. Fig. 7 is a detailfront elevation of modified form of the holder attached to twocage-bars,shown in broken section; also, dotted position of the wooden perch. Fig.8 is also a detail modified form of the perch and holder, the former inend and the latter in front elevation, and broken section of thecage-bars, the lower portion of the holder, and an enlarged portion ofthe porch resting thereagainst. Fig. 9-is a'detail side elevation of thedevice shown in Fig. 8, look ing in the direction of arrow cl. Fig. 10is a detail front elevation of a'holder about to be attached to thegroove in the wooden perch, the latter being a sectional end elevationthrough line a of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of arrow Z). Fig. 11is a detail side elevation of the holder, end view of the perchconnected thereto, broken section of two cagebars, one side of theholder being compressed so that its engaging point or lever may beattached thereto. Fig. 12 is a detail side elevation of another modifiedform of the perchholder and an end elevation of the perch, the loop inthe body of the holder, by which it is connected to the perch, beingsmaller than previously shown, so as to engage the body of the screw,shown in end elevation; also, a broken section of the cage-bars to whichsaid holder is secured. Fig. 13 is a detail broken side elevation ofperch shown in Fig. 12,1ooking in the direction of arrow 6, showing thescrew in the end thereof to support the holder. Fig. 14, is a detailbroken side elevation of the perch having a reduced neck portion on theend in place of the screwto receive the loop of the holder.

The device is preferably made of a single piece of wire having asuitable bend or loop formed in the body thereof to engage a' reducedportion or neck located at or near the end of the perch, the main bodyof the holder covering sufficient superficial area to rest against theouter surface of two, at least, of the verticalcage-bars, while the freeends are angularly deflected from the plane of said body, so as toengage with the inner surface of the said cage-bars, thus forming aleverage by which the holder is made vertically adj ustable andmaintained in any desired position within the range of such bars.

The several forms of the perch-holder, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, embody the same characteristic featuresrespecting their attachment to the perch and cage-bars which is commonto all. 1, Fig. 1, represents an angular bend or loop formed in the bodyof the wire-holder. f, Fig. 3, is a groove near the end of the perch 2,forming the reduced neck 9 to receive the before-mentioned angular loop1 of the holder, which latter is secured thereto in the manner shown atFig. 10, wherein the lower branches of the holder are to be sprung apartto admit the neck 9 of the perch within the embrace of the said loop andarranged to rest against the outer surface of the cage-bars 4 4'. Theverticalmembers 5 5 have each an angularlybent arm 6 6, which also restagainst the outer surface of the cage-bars 4 4:. These arms terminate inthe free ends '7 7 and, being slightly raised above the plane of theholder, (see Figs. 2, 6, and 9,) and at an angle therewith, formgripping-levers to engage the inner surface of the cage-bars.

The form of holder shown in Figs. 5, 10, and 11 differs only in therectangular shape of the lowerpart, which has one more bend thereinviz., the gripping-levers 7 7 being located at right angles to theuprights S 8.

Fig. '7 presents the same general features respecting the superficialcontact of the holder with the outer surface of the cage-bars. In thisconstruction the main vertical members 5 5 are brought closer together,while the arms 6 6 turn outward. The vertical portions 8 8 have theangular bends 9 9, which terminate in the regular gripping-levers 7 7The upper part of the holder is vertically folded down upon the lateralbranches 3 3, so as to provide a bearing against the cage-bars for theupper part of the holder.

In Fig. 8 the circular loop 1 is shown as embracing the circular neck gof the perch, while the enlarged head 10 of said perch rests against theouter surface of the cage-bars 4t 4, thus supporting the holder at theupper end. The vertical members 5 5 have the circular bends which restagainst the cage-bars and also terminate in the gripping-levers 7 7, asin the other views.

Fig. 12 represents a holder having the small circular loop 1 to embracethe body (see also Fig. 13) 11 of the screw, which is inserted in theend of the perch 2, the space between the outer face 7L of said perchand the inner face jof the holder.

of circular construction and rest against the able qualities.

of the head. 12 of. the screw being an equivalent of the groove and neckshown in Fig. This same feature is carried out in the perch shown inFig. 14, wherein the ball 13 is turned on the end of the said perch, soas to form the neck portion 9 to receive the small round loop Thelateral branches 5 5 are cage-bars similar to the angular constructionsbefore mentioned, such branches terminating in the usual gripping-leverends 7 '7.

To attach the holder to the cage-bars, the perch, which is previouslyattached to the holder, is inserted (see Fig. 11) between the cage-bars4 4., and one of the engaging-levers being made to engage one of thecage-bars without pressure the other engaging-lever is then forcedinwardly to engage the opposite cage wire or bar. Said engaging-leverbeing then released, it slides upon the wire inwardly of the cage,forcing its inclined form thereon 'with suflicient power to hold theperch in any desired position, as shown at Fig. 5. The operation ofattaching all of the other constructions is similar to the one justdescribed. To release the holder, this operation has simply to bereversed.

In all the various constructions shown the gripping-levers engage thecage-bars below the perch. It will be understood, however, that thisfeature may be reversed and such levers engage the bars above the perch.There is, however, one feature common to all the various forms of theholder shown, which consists in placing said gripping-levers at somepoint between the upper and lower contact-points of the holder proper,'6. 8., those surface contact-points of the holder which rest againstthe outer surface of the cage-bars. This feature is essential in orderto impart sufficient leverage or bracing quality to the holder.Therefore I do not wish to be confined to any particular form or outwardconfiguration that the holder may assume so far as superficial latitudeis concerned, as this feature may vary to suit the convenience of themanufacturer.

The holder above described has many valu- It is cheap, simple, andeffective. The perches and holders may be manufactured at differentplaces and assembled without the aid of skilled labor. In this re spect,as well'as in many others, it is vastly superior to the device for whichLetters Patent No. 340,116, dated August 20, 1886, were granted to me,which device consisted of two diverging arms, and this feature wasrequired solely for the purpose of effecting an easy en- 1 trance of theholding device between cagebars of varying distances from each other.

, The holding part of the device consisted of the two grooves withexactly the same kind of contact both on the inside and outside of thecage, as well as the same kind of contact and holding pressure,vertically, the entirc length of said grooves. In my present device allof these elements are wanting, it being simply the equivalent of a flatsurface touching the outside bars of the cage at four or more similarpoints and held thereto by inclined gripping levers sliding laterallyagainst the inside surface of the cage-bars.

It may be found convenient, and equally as good results may be obtained,to form a simple hook or curve on one of the free ends of the holder tofirst engage one of the cagebars, While the other free end is providedwith the inclined gripping-lever.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. A perch-holder, having a loop orother like device in the body thereof, in combination with a perchhaving a neck or groove at or near one of its ends for the purpose ofreceiving said loop therein, in the manner described and set forth. 7

2. A perch with a neck or groove at or near one of its ends, incombination with a porch holder having a loop or other like device inthe body thereof, the free ends of said holder forming inclined slidingarms to engage with the cage-bars so that, when the body of the holderrests against one side of the bars and the inclined sliding leversengage the opposite face of said bars a leverage or bracing eifect willbe produced that will support such holder in any vertical position, asset forth.

.3. The combination with a perch of a holder of said holder to engagewith the inner sur-' face of said cage-bars, and thus form, with saidbody portion, sufficient leverage to properly support the holder in avertical position,

as described.

4. A perch having a reduced portion or neck near one of its ends,combined with aholder,

preferably of Wire, a loop or other like bend formed in the body thereofto engage with the neck of said perch, the free ends of said holderbranching out therefrom to provide sufficient superficial area toembrace two, at least, of the vertical cage-bars, and on one sidethereof, laterally-inclined sliding arms at or near the free ends ofsaid holder to engage With the opposite surface of the cagebars, saidsliding arms located at a point intermediate of the bearing or outercontactpoints of the holder, all as described and for the purpose setforth.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 10th day of November, A. D. 1894.

GEORGE C. I-IINMAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. MANN, LEWIS F. PELTON.

